[W]e must understand that the walkable city is not just a nice, idealistic notion. Rather, it is a simple, practical-minded solution to a host of complex problems that we face as a society, problems that daily undermine our nation’s economic competitiveness, public welfare, and environmental sustainability.

He joins Radio Boston to explain why a city’s walkability is so key to its overall vitality.

Read “A General Theory Of Walkability” — PDF — the prologue to “Walkable City.” (Excerpted from “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time” by Jeff Speck, published November 13, 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Copyright (c) 2012 by Jeff Speck. All rights reserved.)